Electrical terminal and terminal board assembly



July 12, 1960 R. H. DIERSTEIN 2,945,205

ELECTRICAL TERMINAL AND TERMINAL BOARD ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 18. 1956 1/49 ,4 $30 rwey.

K 1.1 A v) r Unite States ELECTRICAL TERMINAL AND TERMINAL BOARDASSENIBLY Filed Oct. 18, 19 56, Ser. No. 616,718

. 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-498) This invention relates to terminals for makingelectrical connections and to terminal board assemblies.

Electrical terminals are commonly used for making electricalconnections, for example, between an internal lead of ;an electricaldevice, such as a transformer or motor, and an external lead. One ormore electrical terminals are frequently arranged on a board, commonlyformed of insulating material, and the resulting assembly is generallyreferred to as a terminal board. In many small electrical devices, suchas small transformers, both the external lead and the internal lead ofthe device with which the terminal is associated are soldered to theterminal rather than being connected thereto by other means such asscrews. In such small devices, the terminals themselves and theirassembly on terminal boards'may represent an appreciable portion of theover-all cost of the device. It is therefore desirable to provide anelectrical terminal of the type to which electrical leads may beconnected by soldering characterized by its simplicity, economy, andease of assembly on a terminal board. It is further desirable that sucha terminal be held in assembled position on a terminal board without thenecessity for using separate fastening devices such as screws.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improvedelectrical terminal incorporating the desirable features set forthabove.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved terminalboard assembly in which the terminal is held in assembled relation onthe terminal board with out the use of auxiliary fastening devices.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent byreference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, andthe features of novelty which characterise this invention will bepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed and forming a partof this specification.

This invention in one aspect, provides an electrical terminal boardassembly having a terminal board member formed of relatively thin sheetmaterial and having an opening formed therein. A terminal member isprovided formed of a single elongated strip of relatively narrow andthin conductive material, the terminal having a loop portion formedtherein and terminating in a pair of transversely adjacent leg portions.The loop portion is arranged on one side of the terminal board memberand thus may have an electrical lead connected thereto, and. the legportions extend through the opening and project on the other side forconnection of another electrical lead thereto. Each of the leg portionshas a notch formed in the edge thereof, these notches being formed inopposite edges of the strip and respectively engaging opposite edges ofthe opening in the terminal board member. The terminal member is formedso that the leg portions are normally out of axial alignment, thus, theleg portions must be deformed toward axial alignment for insertion inthe terminal board member opening and thereafter resiliently bias thenotches into engagement with the edges of the opening thereby to holdthe terminal in atent O ICC.

assembled position on the terminal board member without the use ofauxiliary fastening devices.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a terminal board assemblyincorporating this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section, of the improved terminal andterminal board of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, furtherillustrating the improved terminal and terminal board of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the improved terminal of thisinvention prior to assembly on the terminal board; and

Fig. 5 is a developed view of the improved terminal of this invention-Referring now to the drawing, the improved terminal board assembly ofthis invention, generally identified as 1, comprises a terminal boardmember 2 preferably formed of suitable relatively thin sheet insulatingmaterial, and a plurality of terminal members 3.

Each of the terminal members 3 is formed of a single elongated strip 4of relatively narrow and thin conductive material, such as brass, whichmay be suitably plated, as 'with cadmium. Each terminal member 3 has agenerally triangular-shaped loop portion 5 formed therein with its side6 having a pair of transversely adjacent leg portions 7 and8 dependingtherefrom. The leg portions 7 and 8 respectively have notches 9 and 10formed in the edges thereof, the notches being formed in opposite edgesof the strip '4 and being in transverse alignment. The apex 11 'of'loop5 is formed along a line 12 which is disposed. at an angle-to thesides's'o that the leg portions 7 and 8 of the terminal 3 are normallyout of axial alignment, as best seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

The terminal board member 2 is provided with a pinrality of openings 13,these openings having a width which is wider than the width of strip 4and narrower than the normal axial distance between the bases of notches9 and 10 in leg portions 7 and 8 prior to assembly of the terminal 3 onthe terminal board 2. In order to assemble a terminal 3 on the terminalboard 2, legs 7 and 8 are deformed in the direction ofaxial alignmentand inserted through an opening 13 so that the loop portion 5 isdisposed on one side of terminal board member 2 and legs 7 and 8 projecton the other side thereof. Notches 9 and 10 in legs 7 and 8 areresiliently biased into engagement with the edges of the opposite sidesof the opening 13 by virtue of the axial deformation of the terminalmember 3, as best seen in Fig. 3.

An external electrical lead 14 may then be connected to the loop portion5 by soldering, as at 15 and an internal electrical lead 16 maysimilarly be connected to the leg portions 7 and 8 by soldering, as at17. A notch 18 may be formed in one of the legs 7 and 8 to facilitatethe attachment of leads 16 thereto.

It will now be seen that I have provided a terminal which is formed ofonly a single strip of conductive material and which can be readilyattached to a terminal board without requiring the use of auxiliaryfastening devices. It will also be readily seen that this terminal ischaracterized by its extreme simplicity and ease of assembly on theterminal board.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of thisinvention, further modifications and improvements will occur to thoseskilled in the art and I desire in the appended claims to cover allmodifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of thisinvention. a

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An electrical terminal board assembly comprising a terminal boardmember formed of relatively thin sheet insulating material andhaving anopening formed therein, and a terminal member formed .of a single:elongated strip, of relatively narrow and thin conductive material, saidterminal having a generally triangular shaped loop portionformed thereinwith an apex. for providing. a connection for: at least one electricallead and a base having a pair of transversely adjacent substantiallystraight leg portions depending therefrom dividing said base into a pairof laterally extending base members to provide support for said terminalmember, said loop portion being arranged on one side of said terminalboard member for connection of an electrical lead thereto, said legportions extending through said opening and projecting on the other sideof said terminal board member for connection of another electrical leadthereto, each of said portions having a notch formed in an edge thereof,said notches being formed in opposite edges of saidstripand respectivelyengaging oppositeed'ges of said terminal board member opening, saidterminal. member being formed so that said leg portions are normally outof axial alignment whereby said leg. portions may be deformed insubstantially-parallel planes toward axial alignment for insertion insaid terminal board member opening and thereafter resiliently bias saidnotches into engagement with said opposite edges of said terminal boardmember opening thereby to hold said terminal member in assembledposition on said terminal board member.

- 2. An electrical terminal board assembly comprising a terminal boardmember formed of relatively thin sheet insulating material and having anopening formed therein, and a terminal member formed of a singleelongated strip of relatively narrow and thin conductive material, saidterminal member having a generallytriangular shaped loop portion formedtherein with an apex for providing a connectionfor at least oneelectrical lead and a base having apair of transversely adjacent sub-2,945,205 w a I a stantially straight leg portions depending therefromand dividing said base into a pair 0t laterally extending base membersto provide support for said terminal member, each of said leg portionshaving a notch formed in one edge thereof, said notches being formed inopposite edges of said strip, said terminal member being formed so thatsaid leg portions are normally out of axial alignment, said terminalboard member opening having one dimension wider than the width of saidstrip and narrower than the normal axial distance between the bases ofsaid notches, said terminal member having said leg portions extendingthrough said terminal board member opening with said leg portion notchesbeing respectively resiliently biased into engagement with the edges ofopposite sides of said terminal board member opening by axialdeformation in substantially parallel planes of said leg portionswhereby said loop portion is positioned on one side of said terminalboard member for making one electrical connection thereto and said legportions are positioned on the other side of said terminal board memberfor making another electrical connection thereto.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS223,969 Watts Jan. 27, 1880 2,316,555 Bugg Apr, 13, 1943 2,533,483Losquadro Dec. 12, 1950 2,647,225 Cole et al. July 28, 1953 2,704,837Wintriss Mar. 22, 1955 2,741,751 Weiler Apr. 10, 1956 2,883,586Christensen Apr. 21, 1959 2,921,240 Cole Jan. 12, 1960 OTHER REFERENCESFederal Catalog 1000 A, July 1953,'page 14.

